Tag Archives: El Nino 2024

Beautiful Weather – Hideous Water

It is absolutely beautiful outside. There is not a cloud in the sky, humidity is low, the temperature is perfect, and for all the wading birds and fishes “spring has sprung.” They are excitedly searching for food, but there is little to be found. In the past week, salinity has dropped like a rock and a swift current of filth is pushing towards the St. Luice Inlet.

Boating? Are you kidding? I guess you can, but don’t let your kids swim in the water. Dive the nearshore reefs? I don’t think so!

These aerial photographs were taken just eight days after Lake Okeechobee discharges began into the St. Lucie River. The Army Corps of Engineers with the agreement of their local sponsor, the South Florida Water Management District, endorsed the high level discharges though S-80 to begin on 2-17-24.

Today’s photos were taken yesterday, 2-25-24, around 4pm, by Ed Lippisch and Jay Knobel. I am sharing all photographs for purposes of reference and documentation. The fight goes on as it has for 100 years. Shine the light.

Video

~FOLLOW ON Todd Thurlow’s website eyeonlakeo that now shows SALINITY.

~ACOE’s schedule to be repeated unless changed and reassessed each week. I am also including  their announcement given to the people on Valentine’s Day.

 

El Nino, Lake Okeechobee, and the St. Lucie River

1-10-24, St. Lucie Inlet region, Ed Lippisch

El Nino has not given us many sunny Florida days this winter; however, there have been a few. These aerials taken by my husband Ed Lippisch on January 10, 2024, around noon are an example of a rare sunny day. As mentioned in my last post, Lake Okeechobee has not been discharged to the St. Luice River heavily since 2018. Today, on 1-13-23, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Okeechobee is sitting at 16.06  feet.  You can see from the 2024 chart below how the lake is creeping up since the new year. The 2023 chart below it, reveals numbers sometimes over 16 feet as well. There are a number of things causing uncertainly regarding lake operations. But on January 16th, 2024 the ACOE Periodic Scientist Call will occur. At this time we will get a clue of the fate of the St. Lucie. Hopefully nothing will change. Until then, you can go to eyeonlakeo.com and watch the numbers in close to real time while you email your favorite elected official.

~ACOE 

~All aerials below were taken 1-10-23, Ed Lippisch

~St. Lucie Inlet with rain plume

~Looking west over Hutchinson Island, Sewall’s Point  and Stuart. Just off of south Sewall’s Point is the confluence of the St. Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

~St. Luice Inlet State Park (L) and Sailfish Point (R) on Hutchinson Island. Note lack of seagrass beds. There were once 700 acres of lush grasses in this area. Also called the Sailfish Flats

A strong El Nino 2023/2024 means higher than average rainfall for Florida.
Most recent update, 1-18-24 via ACOE.

Deviation for Water Conservation Areas – will this recipe help the St. Lucie?

Little water has been sent south from Lake Okeechobee as the EAA runoff is prioritized and, when rainy, the WCA are filled up like overflowing bowls. The SFWMD aims to “send water south” from Lake O, but it can’t unless there is capacity, and there rarely is…

Yesterday the Army Corps of Engineers announced that they will be allowing a deviation in operations for the Water Conservation Areas. You may recall my recent posts about the high water levels in the manmade, levied water conservation areas and the dangers to wildlife and tree islands and the fact that when they are “full” it is not possible to “send water south” to the Everglades National Park from Lake Okeechobee….

~NRP report  

-which means that if the Lake is filling up the St. Lucie River is closer to being discharged to. Today according to the South Florida Water Management District the lake sits at 16.01 feet. If indeed the present strong El Nino unleashes torrents of rain this winter, as it already did on November 15, 2023, or even if not, and the ACOE wants to “plan” by sending non- toxic algae lake water to the estuaries before summer, we are hosed.

Why? Because the system was built that way. It was built to favor some and hurt others, to protect the Everglades Agricultural Area and South Florida from flooding by draining Lake Okeechobee into the St. Luice and Calooshahatchee.

OK. A lot of  issues were accepted from the late 1800s through 1948 when the Central and Southern Florida Plan was built. That does not mean it is acceptable today. There are options that would greatly improve the situation, like having everyone including the EAA sugar lands  hold water on their lands instead of using the lake like a pond at a homeowner’s association to irrigate their lawn! This is 2024 almost!

It is appreciated that the ACOE is allowing a deviation for the Water Conservation Areas and of course the animals and tree islands must be helped too. But we must realize this it is not enough to save the the St. Lucie River that is almost dead as it is.  No false hope.

It’s time for a new recipe!

1948

Strong El Nino 2023/2024 means rain.